ChefTalk Cooking Forums » Food and Cooking Forums » CookBook Reviews » Southern Cookbook Recommendations?

CookBook Reviews Discuss your latest culinary read here


Reply
 
Thread Tools
  #1  
Old 08-03-2004, 09:10 AM
phatch's Avatar
phatch Offline
ChefTalk Moderator
 
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: SLC UT
Posts: 3,065
Default Southern Cookbook Recommendations?

I did up a southern fried chicken dinner last night while my dad and sister were in town.

I've read some of the more modern southern cookbooks and I really want something more traditional. I'd kind of like to read one from the 50s, and the 20s and earlier. 30-40s have overriding economic issues that would have shifted the food in ways I'm not interested in.

Any recommendations? or other websites?

Phil
Reply With Quote


  #2  
Old 08-06-2004, 11:27 AM
phatch's Avatar
phatch Offline
ChefTalk Moderator
 
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: SLC UT
Posts: 3,065
Default

Classical Southern Cooking by Damon Fowler seems to be somewhat of what I'm looking for, but even older. It reprints from the four classic 1800s cookbooks. I'm picking it up at the library tonight.

I've been going through his fourth cookbook and it's got some good information though a bit nouvelle for my current intentions. The cover photo is of an "asparagus shortcake". Looks pretty good actually.

phil
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 08-07-2004, 01:39 PM
phatch's Avatar
phatch Offline
ChefTalk Moderator
 
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: SLC UT
Posts: 3,065
Default

Been enjoying the book since I picked it up at the library last night. This may have been the best choice after all as the time frame I was initially looking at was probably ruined by the rise of industrialized food. At least according to Fowler.

This is definitely a book worth searching out if you have an interest in Southern food and some of the history associated there with.

Phil
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 08-18-2004, 11:45 AM
maggie's Avatar
maggie Offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: minnesota
Posts: 18
Thumbs up good lowcountry cooking.

Hopping' John's Lowcountry Cooking is a good recipe resource.

I also have a recipe for frogmore stew/ lowcountry boil or deviled crab.
Both are excellent recipes.

maggie
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 08-18-2004, 01:15 PM
phatch's Avatar
phatch Offline
ChefTalk Moderator
 
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: SLC UT
Posts: 3,065
Default

Is Hoppin' John's a web page? If so, please post the address.

Thanks,

Phil
Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old 08-18-2004, 02:41 PM
maggie's Avatar
maggie Offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: minnesota
Posts: 18
Default

It is a book. Here's a link to it at Borders books
http://www.bordersstores.com/search/...0&doSearch.y=0
Reply With Quote
  #7  
Old 08-19-2004, 07:47 AM
Headless Chicken's Avatar
Headless Chicken Online Now!
Registered User
Culinary Experience: Line Cook
 
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Posts: 729
Default

When I was in New Orleans, I went to a place called K Pauls Kitchen whose executive chef was Paul Prudium (sp?). I was told he is the original big name southern chef who made cajun big. If someone can correct my spelling of his last name, you may want to look him up.
Reply With Quote
  #8  
Old 08-19-2004, 10:06 AM
phatch's Avatar
phatch Offline
ChefTalk Moderator
 
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: SLC UT
Posts: 3,065
Default

I've read a bunch of Prudhomme. He is focused mostly on Cajun. And he does it well from what I know. I use a number of his tricks with regularity.

Really, Southern cooking is intensely regional as all the variants of barbecue show quite well.

Phil
Reply With Quote
  #9  
Old 08-27-2004, 01:27 PM
Luz's Avatar
Luz Offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Tempe Az.
Posts: 4
Default May I suggest a visit to my site MY GOOD OLD KITCKEN:

Phatch
My site MY GOOD OLD KITCKEN was created at the begining to preserve the old traditional recipes from my family. It was done just for the family, and then my husband decided to compile some e books. Some are already uploaded in these sites.

http://www.freewebs.com/luzalice/

Or you may want to go to my spanish site COCINA DE LUZ:

http://www.freewebs.com/luzalicia/

There are some free recipes that you can enjoy with your family.

Hope you enjoy our free recipe.

You are most welcome to visit my site any time.

Have a wonderful day.

Yours Mrs. Luz Alicia Gonzalez
Reply With Quote
  #10  
Old 08-27-2004, 08:51 PM
foodnfoto's Avatar
foodnfoto Offline
Registered User
Culinary Experience: Food Editor
 
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: NY, USA
Posts: 1,040
Default

Hi Phatch
It's been a long time since i visited here, but this thread really caught my eye.
There are three books I'd like to recommend.

Southern Cooking by Bill Neal
Gracious Plenty by John T. Edge
and
Mama Dips Kitchen by Mildred Council
also you should really look at any of Edna Lewis' books.

Bill Neal and Edna Lewis were the first to really be recognized as an authorities on the the regional and ethnic cooking of the south, but mostly the southeast. Paul Prudhomme came a few years later and focused mostly on Cajun and Louisiana country food-much different from Creole.

John T. Edge is the director of the Southern Foodways Alliance at the ole'Miss and the head of a cultural department there (though which one I can't remember.)
Mildred Council is the matriarch of a large clan in and around Chapel Hill, NC- I went to school with several of her kids. She has run, with the help of her family, the best southern soul-food restaurant I've ever eaten in called Mama Dip's Country Kitchen. Her fried chicken is simple and true and absolutely delicious.
Hope this helps
__________________
www.foodandphoto.com
www.go-gopops.com

Liquored up and laquered down,
She's got the biggest hair in town!
Reply With Quote
  #11  
Old 08-27-2004, 10:52 PM
phatch's Avatar
phatch Offline
ChefTalk Moderator
 
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: SLC UT
Posts: 3,065
Default

I'll look 'em up.

Thanks,

Phil
Reply With Quote
  #12  
Old 08-28-2004, 09:40 AM
Mezzaluna's Avatar
Mezzaluna Offline
ChefTalk Moderator
Culinary Experience: Cook At Home
 
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: Wisconsin USA
Posts: 8,616
Smile

For a satirical twist, take a look at the often-hilarious "White Trash Cooking" by Ernest Matthew Mickler. 'Single Boy's Breakfast' and Grand Canyon Cake' are favorites of mine! Take a look here.
__________________
Moderator, Welcome Forum
***It is better to ask forgiveness than beg permission.***
Reply With Quote
  #13  
Old 08-28-2004, 10:59 AM
cheflayne Offline
Registered User
Culinary Experience: Professional Chef
 
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Volcano, CA soon to be Caribbean
Posts: 298
Default

I second the choice of Southern Cooking by Bill Neal. Another interesting read is Cross Creek Cookery by Marjorie Kinan Rawlings
Reply With Quote
  #14  
Old 09-05-2004, 04:28 PM
AmbrosiaFood's Avatar
AmbrosiaFood Offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Sep 2004
Posts: 20
Default

You might want to try:

A Date with a Dish by Freda De Knight
Bless the Cook by Bessie Munson
The Soul Food Cookbook by Bob Jeffries
A Good Heart and a Light Hand by Ruth Gaskins
The Lost Art of Scratch Cooking by Curtis Parker
The Negro Chef Cookbook by Leonard Roberts

Anything by Edna Lewis
Reply With Quote
  #15  
Old 09-20-2004, 11:40 AM
scottgreenwood Offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Cincinnati
Posts: 13
Default

Here are two of my favorites:

The New Low-Country Cooking by Marvin Woods.

My Mother's Southern Kitchen by James Villas and Martha Pearl Villas



Woods has a deft touch. His recipes are straightforward interpretations of classics, and he is particularly good at pairing ingredients.

Villas's work is so good that just perusing it almost always gets me hankering for a country ham biscuit and starts hardening my arteries.
Reply With Quote
Reply

Bookmarks


Thread Tools

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are On
Pingbacks are On
Refbacks are Off

Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Asian...Thai cookbook recommendations? RPMcMurphy CookBook Reviews 5 10-08-2008 08:54 PM
Greetings from the southern US llamakc Welcome Forum 1 12-29-2006 12:35 PM
Greetings from southern California Harpua Welcome Forum 4 05-11-2005 07:05 PM
Need Chinese Cookbook Recommendations phoebe CookBook Reviews 6 11-18-2004 09:17 PM
anyone in southern ontario? chouxbacca Cooking Equipment Reviews 3 01-07-2002 03:45 PM